He knew very well he was interrupting — his mocking tone of voice made that more than clear. Elena was only grateful that her clothes were in place. They wouldn’t be able to see her undone jeans or her hard nipples, which were pressing against Tyler’s chest.
“No, not interrupting,” Elena squeaked right before Tyler countered that.
“Yes, you are. Go away.”
“No prob.”
Blake and Byron just turned and left. Elena was blushing like wildfire, and she couldn’t even turn to look at the two men as they retreated. After a few moments she struggled to break free from Tyler’s grasp.
“We’re not finishing, are we?”
“I can’t believe I did that out here. I have no earthly idea what I was thinking.”
He finally let her go. She jumped to her feet and straightened her clothes.
“That you can’t think clearly around me is a good thing, Elena. Most people aren’t lucky enough to have this much passion between them.” Tyler also stood up and began pursuing her.
She kept backing away. “I’m a lawyer, for goodness’ sake, Tyler. I can’t act this way,” she told him.
“Last time I checked, you were human too. Enjoy the thrill. Enjoy letting go.”
She bumped into something and realized it was the wall of a cabin.
Tyler moved right up to her and boxed her in against the wall. “I am living a full life,” she panted, unable to focus with him so close.
“Prove it,” he told her with that wicked smile.
Elena knew she should turn and walk away, knew Tyler threatened her very sanity. But he was right. There was a thrill of doing the unexpected, of being on this constant high.
Without another word, she dropped to her knees on the ground in front of him and with shaking fingers undid his jeans. Her desire outweighed her fear of getting caught with her pants down, or more accurately with Tyler’s pants down.
By the time they were done, she was very satisfied. She had most certainly proved that she could bring him just as much pleasure as he brought her and that was a thrill she hadn’t even known she had wanted to feel.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Elena was delighted that it was now June. And the market was full of great things.
She shopped every outdoor market she could find when the weather turned. Even if she didn’t really need anything.
“Okay, this took some major digging, so you know that you owe me big-time, right?” Piper said as they walked between vendors.
“I know it’s almost not worth the information,” Elena told her. “You’re going to draw this out for as long as you can just for your own sick enjoyment”
“I’m hurt — no, I’m devastated — that you would think such a thing,” Piper said, the smile on her face as big as the one on the Cheshire cat.
“Just spit it out, Piper. Seriously, it’s been a long week, and I’m worn-out.”
“Maybe from all that sex you’ve been sneaking in that you think you’re being so darn discreet with,” Piper told her.
Elena stopped what she was doing and turned toward her friend in shock. “How in the world do you know?”
“Oh, come on, Elena. A woman doesn’t glow the way you’re glowing unless she’s getting sex. And not just any sex, but the sort of sex that rocks your body for days to come. And I’m not using the word come lightly. I’d almost kill to get that in my life right now,” Piper said with a melodramatic sigh.
“Okay, fine, I’ve had sex with Tyler, and yes, it’s good sex…” She stopped talking, unsure why she hadn’t told her best friend about the situation.
“And you’re waiting for my judgment, right?” Piper asked.
“Yeah. I was complaining about him for weeks and then all of a sudden I’m doing it in every position known to man. Well, maybe not every position … I was embarrassed to tell you about it,” Elena had to admit.
“You know that I would never judge you, never be anything but here for you,” Piper told her friend. “So don’t hold out on me again.”
“Fine. I won’t hold out on you. But now you can tell me all this mysterious information that you’ve discovered.”
“As much as I do enjoy holding out, this is too good not to share. It appears as if your apparently fantastic lover,” Piper said with a long-suffering sigh before continuing, “is also quite the humanitarian. It’s a bit disgusting if you ask me.”
“I don’t follow,” Elena said. “What does that mean?”
“It means that he has served in Third World countries, taking medicine and food to the needy. And then he has multiple projects going on here in Seattle, such as donating funds and even working — we’re talking hammers, nails, and more. Sweat equity. He builds houses, volunteers at shelters, and even coaches a baseball team made up of disadvantaged kids.”
“What do you mean disadvantaged kids?” Elena asked.
“All of this info and that’s what you focus on?” Piper said.
“One thing at a time,” Elena told her.
“He has a baseball team of kids from eight to ten that are from the foster care system.”
Elena didn’t know how to process this information. How could she continue hating a man who volunteered far more than she did, and who seemed to love the same causes she did? Especially when that man was also one hell of a lover?
“How did you find this out?”
“I told you it took a lot of digging. But I managed to get chummy with his secretary last night at the bar,” Piper said. “Yes, I did stalk her a bit. If this guy is seeing my best friend, I want to know more about him. But I did that because I was able to do some research through an old friend who works for human services. Tyler doesn’t allow his name to be used in the media for these deeds, and to keep him out of it is no small task, but I think the guy honestly does this stuff because he loves to do it. It’s clearly not a publicity stunt, and not just a tax write-off. This man might actually be a good guy.”